In a significant development in the long-running Cauvery water dispute, the Supreme Court on Thursday rejected Tamil Nadu’s petition challenging Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu dam project, calling the plea “premature.”
A bench led by Chief Justice B.R. Gavai, along with Justices K. Vinod Chandran and N.V. Anjaria, observed that the project is still at the Detailed Project Report (DPR) stage under the Central Water Commission (CWC). The court said it would be inappropriate to intervene before expert bodies such as the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) evaluate the proposal.
“We do not possess the technical expertise to decide on the project before expert bodies complete their review,” the bench noted, emphasizing that Tamil Nadu’s objections would be duly considered in the statutory process.
At the same time, the court warned Karnataka that it remains bound by the 2018 Supreme Court judgment and the 2007 Tribunal award governing water distribution between the two states. Any violation, the bench said, could attract contempt proceedings.
Tamil Nadu had argued that the Mekedatu dam would reduce its share of water from the Cauvery River and violate established agreements. Karnataka, however, maintained that the dam—planned near the Mekedatu gorge in Ramanagara district—is intended solely to store drinking water for Bengaluru and will not impact Tamil Nadu’s allocations.
With the plea dismissed, the ball now lies in the court of the expert committees reviewing the DPR. Both states are expected to present detailed technical and environmental reports in the coming months.
The Mekedatu project has long been a politically sensitive flashpoint between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and Thursday’s ruling is likely to reignite the debate on inter-state water management and regional cooperation.
